This opinion piece appeared in the Star Tribune on December 15th. It was penned by Tim O’Malley director of ministerial standards and safe environment for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. O'Malley is a former FBI agent, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and deputy chief judge in the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Johnson is a Minneapolis attorney and the independent ombudsman assisting victims of clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He served as Hennepin County Attorney from 1979 to 1991 and was a founder of CornerHouse, a local nonprofit serving child sexual abuse victims ...

From the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops: Pope Francis recently declared that the Monday immediately following Pentecost is to be celebrated as the "Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Mother of the Church." This action emphasizes the central role that Mary and all mothers have in the Church. Keeping in mind the caring role of our Holy Mother, and the crucial place that she has within the life of a family, it is deeply concerning when this relationship is fractured or broken in any fashion.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Thursday that it had reached a consensual agreement with victim survivors and insurers definitively resolving bankruptcy claims against the Archdiocese. Fr. Griffith shares more about the announcement in this letter.

Father Griffith shares an update on his reappointment to another term as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes; the appointment of Fr. David Haschka, S.J. to Our Lady of Lourdes as part time senior associate, and news regarding key staff assignments.

When Christians gather each year to celebrate Easter, we gather as a people of hope who believe in a God who keeps his promises. As St. John Paul II taught us, “we are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.” For Christians, the resurrection of Christ is not an abstraction or a theory, but rather a deep truth of our faith that gives meaning to our lives, purpose to our journey, and hope in the midst of trial and suffering.

Join us for this Culture of Encounter talk by sacred artist and iconographer, Nicholas Markell. Markell created the Three Saint Mural, the Holy Spirit Mural, the medallions of the Four Evangelists, and the icons of St. Joan or Arc and St. Teresa of Calcutta here at Our Lady of Lourdes. This talk will take place in the church between the Sunday morning Masses. Everyone is welcome!